Is There Any Reason Why DRAGONSLAYER Couldn't Get A Great 4K Release? (1 Viewer)

[Noel Aguirre]

Except you didn't answer the question; you engaged in whatboutism. As for snark, those of us who have an active interest in film, visual effects techniques et al do pay attention to such things and have opinions about any perceived benefits to 4K for titles like you referenced. There was nothing snarky in my response; it was more, "We've been over this already; it's not our fault if you weren't paying attention." Your comments were threadcrap and nothing constructive.

The answer to the question was already answered!- because there are other films more worthy first either for visuals or content - a few of which I’ve listed. And ANY film COULD get a 4K release even those where it’s not worth attempting for either quality and\or content as we who “have an active interest in film” can attest to. Gremlins anyone? Even Child’s Play could and has received a 4K release!
And as far as “dragon flicks” go I’d rather see Dragonheart released on 4K before this.

 

[Capt D McMars]

I doubt very much that Disney would be interested in releasing a UHD of Something Wicked This Way Comes. They didn't even release it on Blu-ray in the general market: it's a Disney Movie Club exclusive.

And not very well presented, after all these years on many collectors want lists, the release was very much "off handed". And of course no bonus materials...maybe one day, they will allow Criterion to do thier job for them and come out with a Decent Edition of it...for us all!!

 

[Capt D McMars]

The answer to the question was already answered!- because there are other films more worthy first either for visuals or content - a few of which I’ve listed. And ANY film COULD get a 4K release even those where it’s not worth attempting for either quality and\or content as we who “have an active interest in film” can attest to. Gremlins anyone? Even Child’s Play could and has received a 4K release!

The phrase "films more worthy" is a slide-ruler of varing personel quantifiables, determined by the indivigual. This is why there are so many wide ranging genres of film. Not everyone likes the same things, yet we seem to dygress into a George Carlin-esque Mine is Stuff and Yours is S*#*, right?

I too have found myself in some threads "biting my tongue", and not going off on some one. The maxum I was told as a kid by my Mom was...if you have nothing good to say about it...STFU!!! After all Silence can be Golden...we are all movie lovers here and need to be constructive, not Destructive, life's too short.
Everyone has thier views and since this is a forum and not a debating society, act accordingly...I'm just saying.

 

[Robert Harris]

From a strictly tech perspective, there were 70mm blow-ups, so 4k should be decent.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

The answer to the question was already answered!- because there are other films more worthy first either for visuals or content - a few of which I’ve listed. And ANY film COULD get a 4K release even those where it’s not worth attempting for either quality and\or content as we who “have an active interest in film” can attest to. Gremlins anyone? Even Child’s Play could and has received a 4K release!
And as far as “dragon flicks” go I’d rather see Dragonheart released on 4K before this.

If the question was already answered why bother commenting? And FTR, Dragonheart is objectively awful by comparison. Badly aged CGI, accents all over the place…. hard pass.

 

[Lord Dalek]

From a strictly tech perspective, there were 70mm blow-ups, so 4k should be decent.

Said 70mm prints sported 5.1 mixes instead of the usual mono surround tracks.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Said 70mm prints sported 5.1 mixes instead of the usual mono surround tracks.

If you went back to original stems, there’s great potential for an Atmos track.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Yes, it can. That's why I added the winking smiley. Here is a quote from the net:

Weaponised is an alternative form of weaponized.​

As adjectives the difference between weaponised and weaponized is that weaponised is generic while weaponized is made into, or to serve as, a weapon.

As verbs the difference between weaponised and weaponized​

is that weaponised is (weaponise) while weaponized is (weaponize).

 

[Dick]

There are so many other fantasy/sci fi. films from the eighties more deserving of.a 4K HDR release before this with Tron, Clash of the Titans, Conan, and Excalibur at the top of my list.

Certainly this is a matter of personal opinion. I like all the films you cite, but prefer DRAGONSLAYER by quite a margin.

 

[Dick]

I saw it opening night over my friends going to S.O.B. I still have my souvenir program.
The film had a dark tone with not that appealing leads but a wonderful mediveal ambience and absolutely the best film dragon. One shot of Vermithax in the tunnel might be the finest stop motion sequence ever put on film. I think my screen was 35mm but felt 70mm and I can still remember the amazing sound design. LOUD in SURROUND. Baby dragons eating dead princess in a Disney film is still shocking and wonderful.

Given the popularity of GOT and now DnD, I know this film would sell fast in any new mastered format with a plethora of extras. Followed by a multitude of "Underrated Fantasy Films" pieces.

Then maybe EXCALIBUR in 4k, etc. And pleaseplease SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES....

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES is on Blu-ray from the Disney Movie Club, although you can purchase it elsewhere,. It looks pretty good, and I'm so grateful it was put out at all. Unfortunately, it does not carry over the commentary track from the Disney laser disc. And why not? Because this is Disney now, not Disney before.

 

[marshman1138]

If you never bothered with the second half of the film, Bruce, you missed all of the best of the dragon material, including an absolutely awesome encounter within the dragon's lair. Yes, the film lost money upon its release (nearly $4 million, I have heard), but it has been a continuous hot-seller on the video market, and is considered a modern-day "cult classic." Between video and foreign B.O. I am sure it has easily made back its cost.

The film has some awesome casting. Sir Ralph Richardson, John Hallam, Peter Eyre...these are memorable performances, rich with nuance. To be fair, I find the character of Galen, played by a young Peter MacNicol with a clearly contemporary hairdo, to be often insufferable, played like a modern-day teenager. It is a jarring character and performance within the otherwise medieval setting, which itself is so beautifully realized. I can feel the muck and the dust and the isolation. The sets, the costumes, the cinematography and, yes, the atmospheric music score, send me vicariously into a land I find totally immersive but in which I wouldn't wish to actually spend one single moment.

Similarly, the effects work is, even today, stunning -- I find the animation of the dragon from 1981 preferable to nearly any CGI I've seen recently (Vermathrax Pejorative remains the best-rendered dragon of any movie before or since, in my opinion) -- and the movie, considering Disney co-produced it, is sometimes simply scary as hell. Try watching it through, sir...might change your mind!



You're right, Robert, and that was a good catch. "Woke," like so many other originally useful words, has become a means of attack. And "weaponized" is spelled with a "z."

Spelled with a "z" if you are an American. If from the UK, it is spelled correctly.

 

[Capt D McMars]

Spelled with a "z" if you are an American. If from the UK, it is spelled correctly.

 

[RolandL]

It's funny how movie detractors always show up in threads like this one to express their negative opinion. I guess it makes them feel better to let us know how they feel about a certain movie.

And it's always the same people who make these comments. Oh well, they are in the minority for this title.

 

[Christian D66]

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES is on Blu-ray from the Disney Movie Club, although you can purchase it elsewhere,. It looks pretty good, and I'm so grateful it was put out at all. Unfortunately, it does not carry over the commentary track from the Disney laser disc. And why not? Because this is Disney now, not Disney before.

Good to know so I can retire the DVD, I would just love to see Clayton's first cut and the Mr. Dark CG train arrival as detailed in the Cinefantastique cover issue.

 

[Dick]

I would just love to see Clayton's first cut and the Mr. Dark CG train arrival as detailed in the Cinefantastique cover issue.

As would we all.

 

[haineshisway]

MOVIE DETRACTORS? Really? I don't think so. I showed up, for one, and said I've never understood the love for this film. That's it. I'm a bigger movie lover than you, my friend, and have been one much longer than you. You come down hard on people for the smallest things, but then you post something like the movie detractors comment, which does come off a bit offensively, don't you think? Little green smiley here.

 

[haineshisway]

And it's always the same people who make these comments. Oh well, they are in the minority for this title.

View attachment 149327

Yeah, well, Rotten Tomatoes, and a whopping 8 "Top Critics" reviews, two of which are negative, and four of which are decidedly mixed. As I said at the start, you can't say anything that isn't a resounding YAY for any movie made in the 80s - I've never seen anything like it, really.

 

[Robert Crawford]

MOVIE DETRACTORS? Really? I don't think so. I showed up, for one, and said I've never understood the love for this film. That's it. I'm a bigger movie lover than you, my friend, and have been one much longer than you. You come down hard on people for the smallest things, but then you post something like the movie detractors comment, which does come off a bit offensively, don't you think? Little green smiley here.

You got the much longer part right. Right, we don't have any detractors on this forum.

Detractor: a person who criticizes something or someone.

 

[haineshisway]

You got the much longer part right. Right, we don't have any detractors on this forum.

Detractor: a person who criticizes something or someone.

Yes, but you use it to mean always criticize many movies on this forum - at least that's how it reads. And it ain't true. Now, let me go find something to criticize.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes, but you use it to mean always criticize many movies on this forum - at least that's how it reads. And it ain't true. Now, let me go find something to criticize.

And, we don't criticize many movies on this forum? Noticed I used the word "we" in my comment.